Water cooler for refrigerators



Nev. 1933. w. H. HINZ WATER COOLER FOR REFRIGERATORS Filed June 23, 1932 lama 1am I I I I I I I I l l I I I I l I l I I I l l I atented Nov 7, 1933 warren C1Ll3llt iron aararnaaaroas William in. llilinz, on; llarls, llll. Application June 23, 1932. Serial- No. 618333 7 Claims.

it is at present common practice, in order to provide cold drinking water, to place water containers in the food compartments of refrigerators. Usually all of the space in a refrig erator that is adapted for the storage of food is needed for that purpose. Therefore, when water containers of a size to be worth while for the purpose of providing a useful supply of drinking water are placed in the food compartments, there may not be enough room left to take care of the food. Furthermore, whenever a drink of water is desired, it is necessary to open the refrigerator and permit the cold air to flow out, thus reducing the eihciency of the refrigerator to that extent.

The object of the present invention is to make it possible to maintain a supply of cold drinking water in a refrigerator without cutting down the storage space for food and without making it necessary to open the refrigerator whenever a drink is desired.

In carrying out my invention I form in a wall of the refrigerator a large recess communicating with the cooling chamber and place in this recess a container for water that may be placed in position or removed at will; a suitable dispensing device leading to the exterior of the refrigerator being arranged for automatic connection with the container when the container is placed in the recess. After a container full of water. has been placed in the refrigerator, the refrigerator need not again be opened until the container is empty and needs refilling or until it is desired to take out the container filled, or partially filled, with cold water. When it is simply desired to draw a drink of water, this is done by means of the dispensing device, without opening the refrigerator. l'iie recess to provide storage space for the water container may be placed in any wall of the refrigerator, although in the ordinary comparatively small household unit it can probably best be placed in the door so as to permit ready access to the container and permit its easy installation and removal.

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of my invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may he had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation of a refrigerator having my improvement applied to the door thereof; Fi 2 is an elevation of the inner side of the door, on a larger scale than Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. i is a section, on a greatly enlarged scale, on line 44 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing I have illustrated my invention as applied to the door of a refrigerator and, for the sake of brevity, shall confine the-detailed description to this particular embodiment, as the door may be regarded as representative of all of the walls of the refrigerator.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents a refrigerator of any usual or suitable construction, having a door 2. The door 2 is shown as having on the inner side a long, wide depression 3 of considerable depth. In the lower end of the depression is arranged a vertical frusto-conical cup l fixed to the inner end of a short horizontal pipe 5 extending from the chamber through the material of the door lying outwardly therefrom, to the exterior of the door. On the outer end of the pipe 5 is a suitable faucet or nozzle which,

) Adapted to be set into the depression or recess 3 is a large, flat container 8 that may be a bottle or any other suitable device. The container is detachably held in the recess or depression in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, the door carries a pair of spring clips 9, 9 between which the container is pressed when set into the recess or depression. and which grip the container and hold it in place. The container is provided at that end, which is the ,lower end when in position on the door, with a discharge or outlet fitting 10 which may conveniently be fixed to a suitable screw cap ll adapted to be screwed on the neck of the bottle or other con= tainer. At the free end of the element 10 is a plug or head 12, preferably composed of rubber, that may he set down into the cup-shaped part 4 associated with the dispensing device, in the manner of a stopper, and make a tight joint between the part 4- and the part 10. The outlet or discharge connection 10 may be, and preferably is, provided with a suitable shut-off valve having a handle or finger piece 13 by means of which it may be tluneel. closing the valve the container may be lip-ended Without alloiv= ing any of its contents to escape, so that no water will be spilled when the container is placed in the door or removed therefrom, asilong as the valve is closed.

While have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferrecl form of invention, I do not desire to be limit vi to the exact structural details tlius illustratec. cle scriloecl; but intend to cover all iorms and ar rangements which come Within the definitions of my invention constituting the appeucieci A refrigerator having a cooling chamber and a large recess in. a Wall the refrigerator opening into said liquid dispensing device extending through saicl wall aim having at its inner an inlet, and a container for liquid cletachablv secured in said recess anal hav ing an outlet element seated in the said inlet.

.2. A refrigerator having a cooling chamber and a large recess in oi the refrigerator opening into salcl chamber, llquicl dispensing device extending throu li sai wall, and a con for a liquid detach secureci i2: saicl recess and having a valves. outlet element cou" plec'i to the inner o1 saic. dispensing clevice.

in combination, a refrigerator having a door, saisl clear having a long, wide recess in iiisi cle communicating with the cooling sham-=- oer in the refrigerator, a liquid dispensing device extending irom sai-sl recess through and flxezl the door to the exterior the refrigerator, containes tie? a liquic. cletachaolv secured in recess, a discharge nozzle or spout on sale". con tamer, a manually-operated, valve in sale nozzle or spout, and a part 021 the inner end oi"; the dispensing device to receive the nozzle or spout cause the dispensing device to form a conetinuation oi the nozzle or spout whee the com tainez is placed in said recess.

a. A reizlgerator having a cooling chamber and a large recess in a thereof opening said chamber, a liquid-@speuslug device euteuclaccuses lug through said wall and having at its inner end an inlet provided with an annular seat sur rounding the same, and. a container for a liquid detacl'iablv secured in said recess and. having an outlet element fitting against said seat.

5. A refrigerator having a cooling chamber and large recess in a Wall thereof opening into said. chamber, a liquid-dispensing device extending through said wall and having at its inner an inlet provided with an annular seat sur- 8 rounding the same, a container for a liquiol detachably secured in said. recess and. having an outlet element iitting against said seat, and a manual valve in saicl outlet element to permit the containei be placed in position or to be 90- removed Without spilling its contents.

6. A refrigerator having a cooling chamber a large recess in Wall thereof openi chamber, liquid-dispensing device 61.06115;- ing through auci fuse" in saicl Wall. and. having its inner inlet, a container liquid deta ha'olv secured in recess ing 1?. outlet, anti cooperating elements inlet cm? of said dispensing device 2 outlet from sai-i' container to form a ho joint between the dispensing device and the com tainei' upon the insertion oi the container in said "l. The combination wi h an. outer l xei'rigerator, of a liquid-dispensing device fiisoel'id" ing throuli an fixed said wall and at point vii 131 the refrigerator a:. detachable container 'for a liquid liav "SCENE, 12) 

